FOX Broadcasting Co.
From their very first moments together in the pilot, we saw it: the hate-chemistry is strong with these two (kind of like Marnie and Ray, another couple whose active hate for each other turned Unresolved Sexual Tension [UST] to just plain sexual tension).
Even though their OTP status was made clear in the first episode, the show decided to put their UST on hiatus for a bit, and we haven't been granted with many romantic (or even quasi-romantic) scenes since. That is, up until "The Bet."
"The Bet" was kind of Jake/Amy shipper heaven. Because, first off, Boyle's "truth bombs" (remember his stint on pain meds?) laid it all out on the table: "Jake, you know why little boys pull little girls' pigtails on the playground? … Because they like the girls and that's the only way they know how to get their attention." That definitely sounds about right.
The date was predictably awful (actually, maybe "predictable" is the wrong word; I certainly didn't expect Jake to drop $1400 bucks on everything from a terrible '80s bar mitzvah dress to a children's choir, but its good evidence for Boyle's truth bomby case), but the stakeout after? Surprisingly romantic – and the way that Jake chose to stay out with Amy (where both could be in their element) was very telling. The best part about a good romantic relationship is the way it reveals different sides of our favorite characters, and we definitely got to see Amy (and Jake, in particular) display previously unseen softer sides (plus, their undercover fake-out proposal gimmick was kind of amazing – even the criminals ship them!).
We get our second (all too brief) big shipper storyline in "Operation Broken Feather." Amy is offered a promotion to Major Crimes, and Jake does his damnedest to convince her to stay, all the while insisting (just a bit too emphatically) that he doesn't care about her at all. They have a big breakthrough when Jake finally mans up and admits that he likes working with her (or as he so eloquently puts it, his job "sucks a little less when I get to do it with you"). She takes his uncharacteristic show of maturity as a chance to be the immature one for once, taunting him: "You said I was a good detectiiive, you said I was niiice…" We get a handy little inversion of their relationship, that once again recalls Boyle's truth bomb – except this time Amy's pulling Jake's proverbial pigtails.
Alas, we got no ship-able moments in the most recent episode (and it could have been a Valentine's Day-centric episode! For shame!), but for shippers the world over, hope springs eternal.
What are your favorite Jake/Amy moments? Share in the comments!
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Eddy Chen/FOX
Terry Jeffords is a complicated man. He's a detective, a father, a talented artist, a yogurt connoisseur, and most importantly, The Ebony Falcon. This week, Brooklyn Nine-Nine brought another story arc to a close with Terry officially returning to field duty. Peralta and Boyle are busting a steroids ring at a local gym, and they want Terry's help in order to investigate a man named Brandon Jacobi, because he's the only one who could pass as a personal trainer, bouncer and assistant manager at a local PetSmart. But once they see Terry with his twins, Peralta gets scared that something will happen to him in the field, leaving them without a father, and so he does everything he can to keep Terry out of harm's way... even if that means botching his own investigation. Meanwhile, Gina's apartment has been robbed, and she becomes upset when she feels like Santiago and Diaz aren't doing all that they can to bring justice to the person who broke in.
Both Gina and Terry had significant moments of character development this week, with Terry finally becoming comfortable in his job once again, and Gina revealing that even though she appears to have no feelings whatsoever, she can still have moments of vulnerability. It's been fun to watch the characters delve further into the backstories and personal lives of the motley crew that make up the 99th precinct, and grounding these two oddballs in particular opens them up to a new array of plots, both insane and realistic.
But who stole the show on last night's episode, "The Ebony Falcon"? And does anyone know whether Kelly is Scully's dog or his wife? Anyone at all?
TerryAfter spending a few weeks in the background, Terry was brought to the forefront this week, and his character arc has reached its culmination. Terry Crews clearly loves playing Terry, and he plays confident and intimidating just as well as he played terrified and overwhelmed. Plus, we finally got to see Cagney and Lacey for the first time, and watching him speak baby-talk and sing lullabies was delightful. - Explaining that he needs to read his girls a story before bed: "The Ebony Falcon needs to read Go, Dog, Go!"- The joke may have been obvious, but Terry chst-bumping Peralta so hard that he goes flying was still the best physical gag of the night. - Terry nervously declaring himself to be "one of many" black Trents included a wonderful wide-eyed reaction shot from Crews. - On Jacobi: "You know, he's a mean dude, but I think I'm making progress. He asked to borrow my squat belt, I refused, he respected that!"- After Jake declares that the Ebony Falcon takes bad guys to jail and bad girls to bed: "Hell yeah, he does. Except, now the Ebony Falcon is monogamous and too tired for sex, so his only indulgence is fresh fruit yogurt parfaits!" Jake: "Terry loves yogurt." - Jake: "How did you find out about this?" Terry: "I'm a Detective Sergeant with the NYPD! Holt told me." - If Terry were a vacation, he would be a lake trip. - Terry only taking on as much as he can handle means holding down three bad guys by himself, and leaving one for the backup team.
GinaChelsea Peretti has been getting a lot of screen time recently, but this is the first time that Gina's been the star of a whole plot. Like Terry, it's fun to watch the writers delve into the weird mystery that is Gina's personal life, and with every new, strange detail they reveal, Gina becomes better and better. - On asking her coworkers to investigate the robbery: "You think these buffoons can help?! They're buffoons!" - Gina owns a fur bedspread, a ton of lycra body suits, eight full drawers of underwear (because she's civilized), a large painting of a naked lady on a lion, a music box that plays "She Works Hard for the Money," and a set of Joseph Gordon-Levitt nesting dolls: "Homemade and irreplaceable."- Diaz: "They found a strand of hair belonging to Mario Lopez." Gina: "I bought a lock of it at auction. That's cool it's real."- Gina makes a wonderful rye, according to Santiago. "So dense, so yet so moist."- She once said that the best comedy of all time was The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. On second thought, Gina might not actually have any feelings after all. - "I asked for a police escort to work this morning, and it took the dispatcher a while to find me a young Kevin Costner-type."- Upon gifting Santiago and Diaz with lycra bodysuits as a thank-you: "The cool thing is, you can eat whatever you want. These are right there with you."
BoyleThis week, Boyle discovered his true calling: gym manager. Even though they were only staking out the location undercover, Boyle managed to transform the gym from its sorry state, and Joe Lo Truglio plays every line with pure, earnest enthusiasm. - "Gymfiltrating. I think it will really catch on if more people infiltrate gyms." - Boyle is a sucker for a high-five. - Watching Terry put his daughters to bed: "He's so strong, yet so gentle. Like an enormous, muscular Ellen Degeneres." - "Two things: One, this gym's wipe-down policy is criminally lax, so I rewrote it. Two, I lowered the temperature of the water cooler by two degrees. I haven't heard any feedback yet, but I see a lot of refreshed faces. Oh, yeah, and Jacobi is on his way." - Jake: "Who have you become?" Boyle: "Myself! I've become myself!" - After Jake asks to hear about the new scheduling system for the gym: "I've been waiting so long to hear you say those words. Come with me, and experience the future of cloud-based scheduling."
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Eddy Chen/FOX
Brooklyn Nine-Nine pulled off the surprise of the night when the show won two Golden Globe awards this weekend: Best Comedy, and Best Actor in a Comedy for Andy Samberg. On the plus side, these wins have all but guaranteed the show a second season and a larger audience, but on the downside, "The Bet" needed to be good enough to justify the wins. Luckily for both Brooklyn Nine-Nine and its fans, last night's episode was a great blend of hilarious and heartwarming, and it just may have been the best Peralta episode yet.
Remember way back in the pilot when Peralta and Santiago had a bet going to see who could get more felony arrests? It's okay, neither does Hitchcock. Well, this week, the writers resolve the bet subplot, and after a last minute prostitution ring bust guarantees Peralta the victory, he gets to revel in his prize: the opportunity to take Santiago on the worst date ever. Fortunately for Santiago, the date is interrupted when Holt sends Peralta on a stakeout, and he decides to drag her along. Meanwhile, Holt is throwing a party at the bar for Boyle, who has just won the Medal of Valor for his work catching the Freestyle Killer, but Boyle's painkillers mean that he is articulating every single thought that comes into his head. And Terry has conveniently forgotten to let his wife know that he's back in the field, a fact which Holt accidentally reveals at the party.
Which characters managed to upstage the confetti cannons, children's choir, and surprise stripper to become the MVPs of "The Bet"?
Jake PeraltaSamberg has a lot to live up to after his surprise win this weekend, but luckily for him, his first episode as a Golden Globe winner delivers. He and Melissa Fumero have always had great chemistry, and they did a great job establishing the close friendship the two have developed from working together, as well as subtly hinting at the possibility of a budding romance. Perlata works best as a character when Samberg balances his arrogance and goofiness with the right amount of lovability, and "The Bet" manages to hit that sweet spot between all three. - Peralta: "Your handshake is quite firm." Santiago: "I took a seminar." Peralta: "Where?!"- Attempting to suck up to Captain Holt: "You're looking stoic today, like a wise, old oak."- "Hey Santiago, do you have any dietary restrictions that Medieval Times should know about?"- Peralta celebrates winning the bet by setting off a confetti cannon, and proposing she go on "the worst date ever" with him using a ring he spent $1 on. He then chauffers her around his car, to which he has attached a sign saying "Just Lost a Bet" and several strings of tin cans. - The first part of the date includes getting an official date portrait taken, featuring Peralta and Santiago both playing one saxophone. I think the precinct has found their Christmas card. - Boyle: "How much money have you spent on this date?" Peralta: "Like $1400, but it's all on credit cards so it's like $5 a month for the next 2,000 years."- Peralta is renting a tiger cub by the hour. He doesn't know what for yet, he's just waiting for inspiration to strike. - Santiago: "So glad to be out of that dress. It was weirdly hot." Peralta: "Yeah, that's probably because it's a cotton and plastic blend." - After Peralta and Santiago have a fake fight in order to capture the smugglers, one of them remarks: "I'm sad y'all are arresting me, but I have to say, I'm glad you're back together."
Captain Holt After last week proved that Holt doesn't understand and is uncomfortable around puppies, "The Bet" introduces us to something else he is completely flustered around: marital disputes. Andre Braugher is always a delight, but watching him attempt to dig himself out of a hole with Terry's wife while still remaining completely deadpan took everything to another level. - While the rest of the precinct seems delighted by Sgt. Peanut Butter, Holt mostly seems confused. We imagine it's because he doesn't have a sensible name like Richard or Dan. - After accidentally revealing to Terry's wife that he's back in the field: "Oh. I've caused a problem. I think... I am... getting a text message. Bloop! Ah, There it is." It's hard to say what's funnier about this bit: the fact that he stole the idea from Boyle, or just the idea of Holt making a "bloop" sound to sell the idea of getting a text. - Holt: "Perhaps I should stop talking to your wife." Terry: "That's a good call. Captain."
Boyle and Gina"The Bet" puts the show's two weirdest characters together; after Boyle's painkillers result in him blurting out every random thought he has, Holt puts Gina in charge of taking care of him at the party. Boyle's earnestness is perfectly matched by Gina's sarcasm, and together these two have some of the best moments of the night. One of the best things about Brooklyn Nine-Nine is that characters are often stronger together than apart, and the writers clearly enjoy coming up with odd partnerships just as much as the actors love playing them. - Gina, after Boyle starts insulting people: "Oh, I know. This happened to my dad when he had his vasectomy un-reversed."- Gina: "I would love to see Boyle get punched!" Holt: "Try again." Gina: "I will stop Boyle from getting punched?" Holt: "Correct."- Peralta: "You live in your ex-wife's new boyfriend's basement. I'm not taking advice from you." Boyle, to the room at large: "I'm ashamed of my living situation!"- Boyle: "Have you seen Rosa?" Gina: "Rosa died eight years ago. Let's get you a drink."- After Scully asks Gina to "tag in" to the dance: "Not even if it would cure cancer."- Boyle manages to bail out both Terry and Captain Holt by chastising Terry for lying to Sharon, and then complimenting her on her "incredibly attractive hands." After they make up, Sharon threatens that if Terry ever lies to her again, "I will leave you for this short, earnest man and his ex-wife's new boyfriend's apartment."
Sgt. Peanut ButterLike Li'l Sebastian before him, Sgt. Peanut Butter proved that there is almost nothing in this world funnier than a celebrity horse with a nonsensical name. Especially one that poops on stage during the Medal of Valor ceremony and then gets fêted by the United Nations. We hope to see much more of you in the future, Sgt. Peanut Butter, for you are truly a hero.
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FOX
The holidays have officially come and gone, which means that Brooklyn Nine-Nine is back with new episodes (and two shiny Golden Globe nominations). Onscreen, Boyle has also returned after taking a bullet to the butt to protect a fellow officer. Unfortunately for the rest of the precinct, he's still in a cast, which means that he's riding around on a mobility scooter and causing chaos everywhere he rolls. However, Holt is insistent that they all try and make his first day back special, even if that means taking an "adventure in diarrhea" and letting him pick lunch or holding him up to help him use that bathroom.
Meanwhile, Diaz has finally caught the perp she's been chasing on fraud charges, but he claims to be able to help Jake catch the "Pontiac Bandit," a car thief he's been chasing for years. He convinces her to drop the collar to catch his criminal, which turns out to be the wrong course of action when Doug Judy (guest star Craig Robinson) reveals himself to have been the "Pontiac Bandit" all along, and escapes. And in the midst of all of this, Holt has two puppies that he's desperately trying to give away to someone in the precinct before their cuteness starts to undercut his authority.
With the 99th precinct back to it's usual, insane antics, who managed to stand out this week and become the MVPs of "Pontiac Bandit?"
Captain HoltIt's pretty obvious at this point in the season that we love everything that Andre Braugher does on this show, but his trademark deadpan delivery was heightened this week by the absurd addition of two "small dogs." Watching him carry those puppies around and attempt to discipline his officers despite the cute additions was a great twist to the usual Holt storyline. - After Boyle runs over Holt's foot with his new scooter: "I am in... incredible pain."- Holt attempts to explain the presence of the puppies: "My husband's dog Cheddar had relations with the neighbor dog, Karate, and produced these two smaller dogs." Holt could not be less comfortable around puppies if he tried. - Watching Jake struggling to do solve a basic math equation: "Do you need a math tutor? Because the department will provide one for you."- Holt wants to give the puppies to Terry, and introduces them with, "This is Richard, and this is Dan. They are puppies." Then, when Terry turns the offer down, Holt holds them up to his face and lets him know that "All three of us are disappointed in you."- On Gina: "She live-tweets everything. Ruined Downton Abbey for me."
Gina LinettiUsually, when Gina doesn't have a subplot of her own, she tends to disappear into the background with just one or two quips to remind us of her presence, which is a shame, because Chelsea Peretti is one of the show's greatest assets. This week, however, we still got plenty of Gina, even after she escaped to the evidence room to get away from Boyle and his enthusiastic clumsiness. - When Boyle spills hot coffee down his cast, Gina decides to counteract that by pouring an entire container of milk down after it. - Before escaping to the evidence room, she left a note on her desk that simply said "Gone Leaving."- "I've redirected all of Captain Holt's calls to my cell phone, my battery is at full charge, and I have loose diner mints in my purse. This is my home now."- Only Gina would come up with a secret escape plan to avoid Boyle and then live-tweet her afternoon.
Jake Peralta, Rosa Diaz, and Doug JudyPeralta and Diaz haven't had too many scenes together thus far, but Andy Samberg and Stephanie Beatriz have great chemistry, and so it was great to see them get an entire story arc together. The fact that they went to the Academy together was a great way to explain the bond between them — they have always felt like the most natural pairing on the show — and it added some emotion and depth to their chase. Robinson is a perfect guest for this show, adding the right amount of goofiness to the plot. Hopefully, the open ending will give the show an opportunity to bring him back in the future. - Jake, testing out if he should change his name: "Does that sound better? Jack Peralta: Crocodile Hunter!" Diaz: "Yes."- Jake: "The Pontiac Bandit!" Doug: "We called him Bill, but whatever."- After finding out that Doug's mother thinks he's an architect with "all-white employees," Jake quips, "Why don't you just tell her you're an astronaut?" Doug: "Because space is scary! Look what it did to Sandy Bullock!"- Diaz practically bent over backwards trying to avoid letting Doug kiss her, and it was hilarious. - In order to keep Jake from looking like a cop on their sting, Doug puts him in a giant white tuxedo. Diaz's reaction? "You look like a Boyz II Men Easter album."- Jake, on the suit: "Is it triple-breasted somehow?"
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News broke Sunday evening that 30-year-old actor Cory Monteith — who stars as Glee’s Finn Hudson — has checked himself into rehab for substance addiction. While many Glee fans are focusing on wishing the star a healthy recovery, some are wondering if Monteith’s decision to seek treatment will affect the outcome of the show final episodes — and unfortunately it will.
Representatives from both Glee and FOX have confirmed to Hollywood.com that Monteith’s desire to seek treatment will not affect production on the hit comedy. As for their scheduling, the network reveals that Glee only as two episodes left to shoot for season four, and they are prepared to finish out the season without Monteith.
Finn Hudson’s absence will be explained on screen, but there is no news yet of how the writers will ease him out of the spotlight. With the character’s recent decision to follow his dreams to attend college and become a teacher, it seems likely that Hudson’s disappearance could be tied to a school event.
RELATED: 'Glee' Star Cory Monteith Checks Into Rehab
20th Century FOX and all those on Glee wish the star a heathy recovery and, like Monteith’s girlfriend Lea Michele, they fully support his decision. “Cory is a beloved member of the GLEE family and we fully support his decision to seek treatment. Everyone at the show wishes him well and looks forward to his return,” the network says in an official statement released to Hollywood.com.
Glee creator Ryan Murphy also extended his warmest wishes to Monteith. The showrunner took to Twitter Monday morning saying that he is “proud” of the actor’s decision and “love and support him 100%.”
I am so proud of Cory Monteith and love and support him 100%.
— Ryan Murphy (@MrRPMurphy) April 1, 2013
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[Photo Credit: FOX]
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FX knows its viewers well and gives them what they want: raunchy comedies that don’t apologize for being what they are. But if you’re expecting another of the same when the network’s newest comedy, Legit, premieres on Thursday, Jan. 17, you’ll be sorely disappointed… well actually, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Because if you look deep down inside every FX comedy, you'll find that secret ingredient that makes them all successful: heart.
The newest show to mix raunch with emotion stars Aussie stand-up comedian Jim Jefferies as an edgy, foul-mouthed guy in his mid-30s, living in LA, struggling to make his life and career more legit – She said the show title! Drink! – only to find a difficult uphill battle every step of the way. Jim's cheerleading team is made up of his best friend/neurotic roommate Steve Nugent, a cyber-law library salesman struggling to stay on his feet in the wake of his divorce, and Steve’s brother Billy Nugent, who suffers from advanced stage Muscular Dystrophy and is confined to a wheelchair. Jim realizes the way to make his life more meaningful is to help Billy experience all the wild and crazy things his condition has prevented him from doing. In Jim’s mind, the way to help Billy is to take him to a whorehouse in Las Vegas to get him laid. Because, of course.
While this premise may sound like a Hangover-like debauchery-filled road trip (which it kind of is), Legit takes it a step beyond that and gives the story meaning. Jim really does care about his friend experiencing something everyone else may take for granted. There is compassion in the way Jim wants Billy to experience all the fun and happiness his condition prevents him from having, that normal life that seems so out of reach. These are real people, with real issues, albeit in hilarious situations most people don't find themselves in all too often. The balance of raunch to heart is perfect.
Before you watch the series premiere tonight, get acquainted with all the crazy people bringing Legit to life. Hollywood.com spoke with the cast at the show's red carpet premiere, so who better to tell you about the characters than the actors who play them?
Jim Jefferies as Jim: I’m playing a version of myself. It’s a slightly douchier version of myself. If I just played myself it would just be a whole episode of me sitting around eating cereal playing video games. It’s really me from about five years ago. It’s me when I was still taking drugs and sleeping around. As for this season, you’re going to be seeing a lot of development in Billy’s character, John Ratzenberger comes in to play Billy’s father, you’ll see a women thrown in a trunk, you’ll see an episode where we are in a disability home where we literally cast every disabled actor in Hollywood. We had them all there, there was chairs all over the place. It’s a mental show.
DJ Qualls as Billy Nugent: Well I turned [the role] down initially because I was afraid of it. And then I realized the reason I was afraid of it wasn’t the subject matter, which I thought it was. Out of all of the messed up stuff that I’ve done, this is the most messed up. But it wasn’t the material, it was the fact that I was afraid of being that vulnerable. I’m in a wheelchair and I can’t move except my fingers and my neck. It’s a scary place to be as an actor because you can’t use any of your bag of tricks. I can’t play with that physicality. I was really afraid of that. I’m more proud of this work than anything I’ve done in five years. And that feels good.
Dan Bakkedahl as Steve Nugent: Throughout the course of the season, you’re seeing Steve holding on [from his divorce]. For the first five or six episodes, I’m still wearing my wedding ring. I’m convinced that it’s just a separation. I’m not going to live a house with this guy smoking pot and my brother in a wheelchair peeing in a bottle. That’s not going to be my life. I’m going to go back to my regular life with my wife and kid, very soon. And we’re going to see that deteriorate. There’s a big event that makes it blow up for sure, right in my face. There’s a real finality to it where you just kind of go, Wow, that’s over. We see Steve go from a witless, hapless sidekick to kind of losing his mind to realizing the finality of the relationship with his wife to wanting to make his life his own.
Sonya Eddy as Ramona: Ramona is the caregiver in the house for Billy. She’s a little tough, she’s loving, she’s imposing, but she also likes to have fun and she gets in there with the guys. You know how sometimes the inmates are running the hospital? She sometimes gets in there with the inmates and causes some trouble. She is one of the most fully realized characters I’ve ever had the chance to play. You’ll see her laugh, you’ll see her cry, you’ll see her be sexy. You’ll get to see her in some sexy situations… heh heh heh! You’ll get to see her confront some issues from her past.
Mindy Sterling as Janice Nugent: I am a mother with flaws. With Steve, she thinks he’s a big fat loser. With Billy, the younger son who’s wheelchair bound, that’s her baby. She wants to take care of him and do for him but at the same time she’s annoyed by him. She does not like Jim. She finds him completely inappropriate, politically incorrect, foul mouthed, just wrong for her family. And later on in the season, there’s an intervention she has to go through… it’s pretty wild.
Legit airs Thursday nights on FX at 10:30 PM ET/PT.
[Photo Credit: Fox]
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The most star-studded event this season isn't turning out to be the Golden Globes or the Oscars or even taking place in Hollywood, for that matter. Rather, it's President Barack Obama's Inauguration on January 21 in Washington, D.C. With Beyoncé already slated to sing the National Anthem (along with James Taylor, who will sing "American the Beautiful" and Kelly Clarkson, who will take on "My Country Tis of Thee") at President Obama's second swearing-in, the historic weekend has even more star power lined up.
The Presidential Inauguration Committee has announced that Katy Perry (who subtly showed her support earlier this year in a variety of ways, including the dress she's wearing at left), Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley, fun., John Legend, Usher, Marc Anthony, Nick Cannon, Mindless Behavior, Far East Movement, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, and the cast of Glee will all take part in the the Inaugural kids’ concert and balls.
The Kids’ Inaugural concert, which is hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, will take place on Saturday, Jan. 19. On Inauguration Day there will be two balls, the Commander-in-Chief’s Ball and The Inaugural Ball. All three of these events will held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Other celebrities, whose names have not been announced yet, are expected to attend. [Photo credit: Judy Eddy/Wenn] More:
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VICE Films Executive Director Eddy Moretti had an idea: team up with his longtime friend, director Harmony Korine (Gummo, Trash Humpers and the upcoming James Fraco/Selena Gomez movie Spring Breakers), draft a series of filmmaking rules ("This film must be the best film you have ever made," "The hero tells bad jokes. But they're good," "A stuffed animal needs to make an appearance") and hire international directors to help create an innovative cinematic experience. The result was The Fourth Dimension, a triptych of trippy short films helmed by Korine (Film #1: Lotus Community Workshop), Aleksei Fedorchenko (Film #2: Cronoeye), Jan Kwiecinski (Film #3: Fawns).
To headline the operation, Korine recruited Val Kilmer, who portrays a deranged version of himself in Lotus Community Workshop. Donning a Hawaiian shirt and ball cap, "Val Kilmer" heads to a skating rink to provide a group of small town folks with some insane motivational advice ("Tell me your awesome secrets! Tell me your awesome secrets!"). Portraying a version of himself in this fashion is a bold move, and one I was anxious to delve into after watching the film at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Your character in Lotus Community Workshop is named Val Kilmer. Is there any hesitation when someone comes to you and asks you to play a version of yourself? Was it always Harmony's intention to fictionalize your real self?
Val Kilmer: That he sort of finagled because the character's name was Hector. He said, 'You know, it might be interesting if we went in with all the energy, if we tell the audience that it's you coming to talk.' So I said, 'Sure.' And when it got closer, and he started saying my name more than the character's name, I said, 'So you don't want to shoot it both ways? I say some pretty awful things.' Hector does. I've had my share of misunderstood interviews, so I'd hate to see these in isolated clips.
He said, 'Don't worry.' And as soon as I really imagined not worrying, of course it's not me, it's a character. I think most of the world has some idea of who Tom Cruise is, even with all this meltdown and recovery and things. But… no. You spend your lifetime getting to know your spouse. Why do you think you know Tom Cruise? Because you've seen him in a bunch of interviews? He was acting.
We all do it all day long. You act for your boss. We all act to get what we want. Our dog acts. He acts sad if you don't let him out. We all act all day. It became something easy to embrace. And I had to trust Harmony. Trust your director. If you don't, you can usually feel reserve if you feel sensitive to how performances are put together. When I gave myself all the way to it… maybe the next incarnation might move into more of a collaboration, where I would be able to take greater risks with that one idea, but because it's so absurd — I'm preaching — I think it's clear it's not me.
Did playing yourself still have to be an extension of yourself?
Val Kilmer: I think any creation of an actor is supposed to be an extension. It is even if they're completely lying. Then you learn something about how they lie, how they cover their story. I won't name the actress, but an actress got a rather hideous face lift. But then she played a character who talked about getting a face lift. So she was talking about it.
I think in performance, you get a persona, and then you refine it, then you make projections of that. Like Clint Eastwood sold an idea about a character. We're all thinking the same thing when we say 'Clint Eastwood.' Singular, uncompromising, violent — they all involve those things.
I will admit that I haven't always understood Harmony's films on a plot level, but I always enjoy them on a tonal level. How does he explain his motivations and ideas to help bring you into the fold?
Val Kilmer: Poorly [laughs]. He's much more clever than he lets on. He doesn't like to talk about it — that's to his credit. It's a real talent of restraint in not being articulate about things that become an intellectual process. Like these rules. He didn't tell me about them. I'll turn around and he has a blindfold on. He's telling me to say this one particular sentence that isn't completely to do with the scene. It's a dubious honor.
Do you find that your process changes when you tackle material that's heightened realism like this film versus realistic roles? I know you're currently touring in a one man show based on the life of Mark Twain.
Val Kilmer: I wouldn't call this heightened realism. It doesn't feel like that.
What would you call it?
Val Kilmer: It's my name, but I obviously don't dress like that. I don't ride a BMX bike. I haven't changed my profession and I don't live in Nashville. I don't live with Harmony's wife, who plays my girlfriend. So, I wouldn't call it that. I don't have an alternative suggestion.
Perhaps Lotus Community Workshop is straight fantasy. Is it still the same process?
Val Kilmer: Everything is the same at the beginning, you're just trying to make a realistic application of what's written, and personalizing it. It's always realistic in that way. I fought a dragon once in a movie. I really cared about killing him, but I wasn't trying to convince you it was real. It was just real. It just matters if I believe it's real. Or if you're in love with a costar and she's a dragon. Imagine that she's not.
Angelina [Jolie] tells a story — and I'm happy she mentions is because it's so weird. [In Alexander] I'm raping her. And her breast fell out of her nightgown. And during the take, I kind of made sure my face blocked her breast and covered it up, all while grunting and sweating.
That is acting.
Val Kilmer: I was a bit out of the moment [laughs]. But, it always involves large and small paradoxes. Making people believe. Harmony is really good at that. The things that are just given in it, the hard cuts — I ride a bicycle, but I live in a mansion. What does that mean? It's fun to contemplate. I'm talking about myself, but it's clearly not me.
Are scenarios like that ever confusing for you as a performer?
Val Kilmer: No, I was never confused because the text is so singular. He's a motivational speaker, but he doesn't care about anything motivational speakers care about. He doesn't have a selfish bone in his body. He really wants people to get better — he just happens to be crazy. Or stupid. Probably stupid.
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In This Means War – a stylish action/rom-com hybrid from director McG – Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises) and Chris Pine (Star Trek) star as CIA operatives whose close friendship is strained by the fires of romantic rivalry. Best pals FDR (Pine) and Tuck (Hardy) are equally accomplished at the spy game but their fortunes diverge dramatically in the dating realm: FDR (so nicknamed for his obvious resemblance to our 32nd president) is a smooth-talking player with an endless string of conquests while Tuck is a straight-laced introvert whose love life has stalled since his divorce. Enter Lauren (Reese Witherspoon) a pretty plucky consumer-products evaluator who piques both their interests in separate unrelated encounters. Tuck meets her via an online-dating site FDR at a video-rental store. (That Lauren is tech-savvy enough to date online but still rents movies in video stores is either a testament to her fascinating mix of contradictions or more likely an example of lazy screenwriting.)
When Tuck and FDR realize they’re pursuing the same girl it sparks their respective competitive natures and they decide to make a friendly game of it. But what begins as a good-natured rivalry swiftly devolves into romantic bloodsport with both men using the vast array of espionage tools at their disposal – from digital surveillance to poison darts – to gain an edge in the battle for Lauren’s affections. If her constitutional rights happen to be violated repeatedly in the process then so be it.
Lauren for her part remains oblivious to the clandestine machinations of her dueling suitors and happily basks in the sudden attention from two gorgeous men. Herein we find the Reese Witherspoon Dilemma: While certainly desirable Lauren is far from the irresistible Helen of Troy type that would inspire the likes of Tuck and FDR to risk their friendship their careers and potential incarceration for. At several points in This Means War I found myself wondering if there were no other peppy blondes in Los Angeles (where the film is primarily set) for these men to pursue. Then again this is a film that wishes us to believe that Tom Hardy would have trouble finding a date so perhaps plausibility is not its strong point.
When Lauren needs advice she looks to her boozy foul-mouthed best friend Trish (Chelsea Handler). Essentially an extension of Handler’s talk-show persona – an acquired taste if there ever was one – Trish’s dialogue consists almost exclusively of filthy one-liners delivered in rapid-fire succession. Handler does have some choice lines – indeed they’re practically the centerpiece of This Means War’s ad campaign – but the film derives the bulk of its humor from the outrageous lengths Tuck and FDR go to sabotage each others’ efforts a raucous game of spy-versus-spy that carries the film long after Handler’s shtick has grown stale.
Business occasionally intrudes upon matters in the guise of Heinrich (Til Schweiger) a Teutonic arms dealer bent on revenge for the death of his brother. The subplot is largely an afterthought existing primarily as a means to provide third-act fireworks – and to allow McGenius an outlet for his ADD-inspired aesthetic proclivities. The film’s action scenes are edited in such a manic quick-cut fashion that they become almost laughably incoherent. In fairness to McG he does stage a rather marvelous sequence in the middle of the film in which Tuck and FDR surreptitiously skulk about Lauren's apartment unaware of each other's presence carefully avoiding detection by Lauren who grooves absentmindedly to Montel Jordan's "This Is How We Do It." The whole scene unfolds in one continuous take – or is at least craftily constructed to appear as such – captured by one very agile steadicam operator.
Whatever his flaws as a director McG is at least smart enough to know how much a witty script and appealing leads can compensate for a film’s structural and logical deficiencies. He proved as much with Charlie’s Angels a film that enjoys a permanent spot on many a critic’s Guilty Pleasures list and does so again with This Means War. The film coasts on the chemistry of its three co-stars and only runs into trouble when the time comes to resolve its romantic competition which by the end has driven its male protagonists to engage in all manner of underhanded and duplicitous activities. This Means War being a commercial film – and likely an expensive one at that – Witherspoon's heroine is mandated to make a choice and McG all but sidesteps the whole thorny matter of Tuck and FDR’s unwavering dishonesty not to mention their craven disregard for her privacy. (They regularly eavesdrop on her activities.) For all their obvious charms the truth is that neither deserves Lauren – or anything other than a lengthy jail sentence for that matter.
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